The Potters Cast

I am a new teacher of clay. A little over a year ago Jennifer and I opened a new community studio here in Vancouver, Washington called Clay Works of Vancouver. Because I wasn't a teacher, I went a good chunk of the year watching others teach all the classes. I started doing our one-off classes, Take It For A Spin, and Clay for Two classes. These are basic one-time events that are there just to dip the toe in the water and have fun. But then I was asked by a person if I would be willing to teach a beginner class. I said with total confidence that I would totally do it for her. And then I actually had to do it. So I asked for some advice from y'all. This episode is some of the advice I received.

https://ThePottersCast.com/1256

Amy Noel is the owner and potter behind Wabi Scotia Pottery in Nova Scotia. After years of working part-time with young children, she turned her passion for clay into a full-time business. Today, she creates functional pottery, teaches classes, and has expanded her studio to include kiln rentals, helping others discover the joy and confidence that come from working with clay.

https://ThePottersCast.com/1255

Kim Johnston is a South Australian graphic designer and part-time ceramicist. Drawn to clay as a way to step away from the screen and reconnect with a more hands-on creative process, Kim creates functional ceramics that celebrate everyday rituals. Through her work, Kim is exploring her artistic voice while building her ceramics practice.

https://ThePottersCast.com/1254

Jeffery Liang, a Taiwanese-American based in the San Francisco Bay Area of California is the founder of Spiffy Pottery Studio. With a background in fine arts and industrial design, Jeff's strong desire to create is at the heart of his work. Hand-made pottery perfectly combines these two passions. Jeffery's journey into ceramics began in 2018 when he became a student at City College of San Francisco - Fort Mason Center. Jeffery quickly realized that pursuing ceramics was a path he wanted to develop further. A few months later, Jeffery began working at several pottery studios, both in San Francisco and his hometown of Taipei. In 2022, Jeff decided to take the leap and start his own venture, leading to the establishment of The Spiffy Studio.

https://ThePottersCast.com/1253

Hunter Vargo started Hucks Pottery shortly after a life changing crash while speed flying his parachute. As Hunter went through recovery tea had become a huge part of his daily routine. As it became apparent that Hunter's physical body wouldn't allow him to return to flying professionally it was time for him to pursue another interest. Teaware!

https://ThePottersCast.com/1252

Nathaniel "Nate" Miller went full-time as a potter in 2026 after twenty years of filmmaking and video editing. Nate's Burbank, CA studio makes handcrafted functional ceramic housewares with a playful taste of science fiction and futurism.

https://ThePottersCast.com/1251

Naomi Peterson creates cute objects that invite consideration beyond the inanimate. Naomi mixes bright colors and soft patterns with hard materials to investigate the emotive potential of functional things. Using her traditional ceramic background as a lens to view material and process, Naomi builds forms layer by layer, often integrating analog and digital methods. Naomi is a full-time ceramic artist based in Houston, TX.

https://ThePottersCast.com/1250

Nicole Kluba is the owner of Kluba Ceramics and lives in the town of Seagrove, North Carolina. Seagrove is a small, rural town which also happens to be the pottery capital of the US. Nicole has grown up in Seagrove and has been exposed to pottery not only in the community, but in her family as well. Before Nicole began creating pottery full time in March 2024, she worked in emergency services for four and a half years until she left at age 23 to pursue pottery as a career.

https://ThePottersCast.com/1249

Joe and Emilie Bott are the owners and operators of The Tilted Kiln and the creators of Clay Con West, which they founded in 2018. Joe and Emilie are passionate about bringing the clay community together through creativity, education, and connection. When they are not working in the studio or organizing events, Joe and Emilie enjoy spending time with their family and sharing their love of ceramics with others.

https://ThePottersCast.com/1248

Esther Drone is a potter and ceramic artist based in Langford on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Esther has facilitated a variety of groups as a pottery instructor. Esther's work is predominately functional and is currently available in a variety of shops in the Greater Victoria area.

https://ThePottersCast.com/1247